Political cartoons from the Cold War era aimed to humorously represent controversial political issues in a simplified visual format. They used caricatures and symbols to comment on topics like the space race, arms race, and democracy vs. communism between the US and USSR. The cartoons were typically found in newspaper editorials and comics pages. Understanding political cartoons involves examining the exaggerated visual focus, surrounding context clues, implied audience perspective, relevant world events, and symbolic representations of groups or ideas.

1. Political Cartoons of the Cold WarPresented to you by: Quinton Campbell

2. What are political cartoons?They are humorous visual representations of controversial current events. Generally about hot topics of the time, usually being political.

3. What are they made for?They are done in good humor to let readers understand the issues of politics, and society better.They use caricatures as well as strait forward visual images, and a variety of symbols to do so.

4. Where are they generally found?Political cartoons are frequently found on the editorial pages of various newspapers as well as magazines. They appear from time to time in the comics section of a newspaper/periodical, as well.

5. The Cold WarThe Cold War took place between the years 1946 – 1991.The two rivaling countries were The U.S.S.R. (Russia), and The United States of America.The primary disputes they had were the space race, the arms race, and democracy vs. communism.

6. Analysis of political cartoonsMany people do not understand how to understand political cartoons.To more easily interpret these cartoons, we’re going to learn step-by-step how to do so.

7. Step 1: Gaze Slowly Artists know bestLet your mind find the part that stands outGenerally being an exaggeration or distortion meant to be comical

8. Step 2: Find the FlowFigure out what the interaction with the primary focus isLook around the main object or person for allusionsAn allusion is indirect indication to a past or current event that’s not completely clear

9. Step 3: Verify the AudienceWho is the population?What are their views?

10. Step 4: The ContextWhat is going on in the world? In the news?

11. Step5: The SymbolsFind symbols that commonly represent a group of people.Ex. donkeys for Democrats and elephants for Republicans

12. Step 6: Minor DetailsLook for words and pictorial symbolsGenerally located in the backgroundMeant to convey minor themes

13. “Fire!”

14. “Its ok – We’re hunting Communists”

15. “It’s the same thing without mechanical problems”

16. “You mean I’m supposed to stand on that?”In February 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy captured headlines by his claims that he held in his hand, a list of names of some 205 communists in the State Department which he did not reveal. Many members of Congress, influenced by his success, began to support his heavy-handed and abusive tactics for political purposes. Here conservative Republican senators, Kenneth S. Wherry, Robert A. Taft, and Styles Bridges and Republican National Chairman Guy Gabrielson push a reluctant GOP elephant to mount the unsavory platform. This was the first use of the word "McCarthyism."

17. “Have a Care, Sir”Throughout his political career, Dwight Eisenhower refused to take a public stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy's aggressive anti-communist campaign. Eisenhower even struck from a 1952 campaign speech in Wisconsin a defense of his mentor, George C. Marshall, a McCarthy target. Half a dozen Republican senators, including Ralph Flanders, joined Margaret Chase Smith in a "declaration of conscience" against McCarthy. Eisenhower, however, continued to speak of "justice and fair play" in fighting communism, and it was a long time before they prevailed.

18. “On this order for a new typewriter ribbon – did you know you forgot to stamp ‘Secret’?”

19. Bibliography""Fire!" (Herblock's History: Political Cartoons from the Crash to the Millennium, Library of Congress Exhibition)." Library of Congress Home. Web. 15 June 2011. <http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/fire.html>."Part I: A Brief History of Political Cartoons." American Studies @ The University of Virginia. Web. 15 June 2011. <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma96/puck/part1.html>."Index." Xenon.truman.edu. Web. 15 June 2011. <http://www2.truman.edu/parker/research/cartoons.html>.